The cinematography was great and it did have that 40's colour feel to it. But I found the timelines a bit confusing not knowing anything about the film other than the historical perspective. I didn't 'get it' until the lower shot of the pilot 'waving' out the cockpit as Rylance's boat moved in. The lack of dialogue at times led me to feeling a bit bored and wondering if I would miss anything if I left!

But some sequences were tense and terrifying that owed more to a suspense thriller than a war film. The acting was superb and understated.

I didn't mind the minor inaccuracies; what did bother me was the Rylance timeline/story. I won't say why to avoid spoilers. Did it provide a reasonable representation of what it was like; I've no real idea, but probably. Did I walk out of the cinema satisfied? 'Fraid not.

They had the John Mills version on ITV4 on Friday lunchtime. Sorry, but in my book it's not a real war film unless it's a) in black and white, and b) got Sir JM in it.

Oh, and someone in The Guardian has already had a rant about the film "whitewashing" British history because there aren't enough non-white characters in it (apparently an Indian Army transport/logistics company, Lascars in the Merchant Navy, and French colonial troops were all "deliberately written out").